Anti-crime rallies are unfortunately all the rage in Jersey City, but there is more of a competitive and political nature to these events. This week, two hosts of rival rallies claim they share the same goal, making the city a safer place to live.

The competition over who will lead the community is sparked by the successful election of Mayor Steven Fulop. Politicians, potential and those on the outside looking in, see opportunities in a changing political landscape. It’s not that these folks do not have heartfelt concerns about the shootings that keep residents prisoners in their homes — in primarily the city’s black community — but you know the saying, why waste a good crisis.

In this case, I don’t see anything wrong with healthy competition. These people selected public safety as their open window to leadership, but residents take this issue seriously. Anyone who actually produces results will have a following. Those who just talk will see their political aspirations come to a halt.

Fulop understands that crime is a central issue, and he made listening to the disenfranchised among the city’s diverse population a keystone position of his election campaign. He showed up at a Wednesday evening demonstration at Lexington and Bergen avenues, where two men had been recently shot.

Assemblyman Charles Mainor, the city’s 31st State Legislative District representative, hosted the event. I was told by detectives who attended and who are close to Mainor that the rally was requested by community residents and the assemblyman obliged. The scheduling seemed strange because Mainor knew that a similar rally had been set up weeks before his for the next evening at the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center on King Drive.

The difference is that the Thursday event was arranged by the activist group Urban Concerns, analogous to a "Pacific Rim" robot operated by businessman Bruce Alston and local activist Robert Mays that is meant to trample the old guard politicians. A subtle under the surface battle is being waged for the hearts and minds of the black community. It’s no coincidence that the assemblyman scheduled his rally the day before.

Residents who attended both events were extremely interested and emotionally invested. They complained about young thugs taking over their streets and how some think a trip to the neighborhood store is like a walk through a mine field.

At Mainor’s Wednesday gathering in front of a Lexington Avenue apartment building, city police and members of the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department had a contingent there to address the public. The theme is that it’s a new game and plans are in the works for game changing initiatives. What caused a stir in the community was the appearance of the new mayor, who spoke while smartphones recorded the visit.

"We recognize that it is the sentiment of the community that it has been neglected a long time, and we are working to address this," Fulop said.

One woman in the crowd of about 200 turned away and said, "same bulls***."

View full sizeA shooting occurred on Lexington Avenue in Jersey City two were shot and later brought to Jersey City Medical Center on July 9.Journal File Photo

And that’s the problem with rallies. Many said they were tired of talk. They wanted action. They asked for closed-circuit cameras on the streets. They want visible evidence that something is being done.

Thursday evening, Urban Concerns held its event. There were half as many people present and Fulop did not attend. One of the police superiors said the mayor was not present because he forgot to send him an email about it, effectively falling on his dirk and protecting the mayor. Host Alston said state Sen. Sandra Cunningham sent word that she wished to attend but — but state duties, etc.

Nevertheless, Alston and company did have an impressive group of well-spoken superior officers who, as city residents, empathized with the residents who showed up. Expressing his own frustration, one officer told the crowd, "We’re tired of arresting the same people year after year."

Emotions and the sound volume got higher when the Urban Concerns session started to resemble a revival meeting when Councilwoman Diane Coleman and Joyce Watterman spoke. They and others said the problem is not that of just the police but is also just as much about the residents needing to fight for their streets.

"An idle mind is the devil’s workshop," Watterman said to explain the need for programs for city children. She received shouts of approval and recognition that she was on the mark.

"We need schools to be open," she said. "We need protection. We need the churches, because we’re people of faith. We need to help young mothers to manage their children, because they don’t know. They don’t know."

Coleman was not far behind the pulpit.

"I feel the spirit in this room."

"We’re killing each other."

"The family life is gone. We’re no longer mister and missus. We lost touch. We lost our kids. We have young girls, 20 years old with three or four kids, each with a different last name. What happened?

"Until we get back respect, kids will keep killing each other — and you."

Then she drew some laughs when she added; "Let me apologize now — sometimes I’m not politically correct."

There is also some frustration among the men in blue. West District commander Mike Kelly repeated a phrase used by Mainor the previous night. "Are you tired yet?" he said. He said the police are tired of arresting the same people year after year. It’s time for a new approach.

Officers who will patrol the neighborhoods are expected to have intelligence on who is who. They will know who are the bad guys — drug dealers and shooters — from the person just walking his or her dog.

What was impressive about the meeting is that most people voluntarily signed up to join one of six committees. The panels are education, youth works, nonprofit collaboration and partnership, economic development and workforce, and community affairs, and cultural awareness.

One of the first goals identified was for residents to get to know each other by staging organized events in such public venues as The Hub. These will be patterned on the planned activities that occur on Grove Street near the PATH station where vendors and a Farmers Market can be found.

POLITICAL INSIDER

INSIDER NOTES

— Alston said he received a telephone call after the shooting death of an 18-year-old man on Mallory Avenue over the theft of a cellphone. Urban Concerns will hold a similar anti-crime session Tuesday evening at the Hank Gallo Community Center in Lincoln Park to urge community involvement in making streets safe. Mainor helped arrange a prayer vigil yesterday.

— State Sen. Sandra Cunningham plans an anti-gun forum July 23 at the Mary McLeod Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive., at 6 p.m. I’m not certain if the press will be allowed to attend. Perhaps parking is tough in the area.

It appears the anti-crime groups will be very busy this summer. Those 40 new Jersey City Police Academy rookies can't get back fast enough for city officials. The city is limited by the number of new officers the academy can accept at one time. The administration plans to send another large batch immediately.

-- "Steve" and not Steven will be the official name in most future news items. Me, I’m not sure yet what to call him yet.

-- I see the divide between Councilmen Richard Boggiano and Michael Yun and the Fulop administration has already started. And yet the two council members seem to be getting along with at least two other colleagues on the governing body, Chico Ramchal and David Rivera. Stay tuned.

-- City Corporation Counsel Jeremy Farrell has informed council members that they’d like to keep a tight lid on future appointments until some announcements are made in August at a council session, say sources. I’m not sure there is a City Council meeting in August, but they could always make one. Meanwhile, sources say Farrell is taking next week off.

-- No love between Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Frank Raia these days after Zimmer turned down a Raia request, made across the river, to run on her ticket in the future, say sources who add that the "discussion" was quite loud. This coming election, the mayor is about to find out out who really are her friends.

View full sizeFormer Gov. Jim McGreevey at Mayor Steve Fulop's July 1, 2013 inauguration. McGreevey is going to head a city jobs commission.Jersey Journal file photo

-- Former gov. Jim McGreevey finally got his job with the Fulop administration as their $110,000 a year jobs commissioner. Something about that salary sounds familiar. Meanwhile, as is always the case with a new administration, there are some key campaign individuals who feel shut out, ignored, or wondering if they worked so hard just so some people they didn't see going door to door walk away with six-figure salaries. At least one veteran campaigner with influence in the community is starting an anti-Fulop cabal in Ward F.

It's not east being a reformer. As for McGreevey, he should be OK as long as he isn't involved in fund raising activities and his little interaction with the governor.

-- I'm redoing this blog because I swear I posted it for 12:01 this morning. There must be a gremlin in the office behind the hidden old typewriters.

-- I’m back from the sea. Miss me? You’ll probably get mini-columns during the coming weeks, but I warn you that it may mean a little less on Saturdays, and may be not.

-- Sometimes I provide an Internet link to some interesting stuff to readers of this column. I have to give credit to Daniel Beards who I never met but it his photo album of Jersey City on phanfare.com that caught the eye. Some of the caption information is dated but still captivating. I'm not a fan of the music but why quibble. Follow this link to why Jersey City is a great place.